Ivorian midfielder Yaya Toure has been crowned the African Player of the Year 2011 at a colourful ceremony in Accra, Ghana. Toure, 28, was chosen by coaches of national teams on the continent. “This is the highest prize I can get in my career,” said Toure, who has helped City to the top of the Premier League.

The 28-year old pipped Ghanaian midfielder Andre Ayew and Malian Seydou Keita to scoop the topmost honour at the Awards Gala on Thursday at the Banquet Hall, State House in Accra.

The hardworking midfielder, who plays for English side Manchester City gained the highest votes in the poll decided by votes from the Head Coaches or Technical Directors of the National Associations affiliated to CAF.

The honour caps a wonderful year for the midfield maestro who has been in scintillating form for club and country. Toure is winning the topmost individual honour in African football for the first time and he joins compatriot Didier Drogba as the only Ivorians to have laid claim to the award since its inception in 1992.

The coronation of the midfielder was the climax of the ceremony attended by the crème de la crème of African footballers, officials and administrators. Ghana’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Clement Kofi Humado graced the event just as CAF President Issa Hayatou and members of the CAF Executive Commitee.

The African Player of the Year (based in Africa) award went to Tunisian midfielder Oussama Darragi. The Esperance captain beat his teammate Yaya Banana of Cameroon and compatriot Zouheir Dhaouadi of Club African to the prize.

Super Falcons captain Perpetua Nkwocha was adjudged Women’s Footballer of the Year for an unprecedented fourth time. The 35-year old Nigerian had previously won the award in 2004, 2005 and 2010.

It was triple delight for Cote d’Ivoire after teenage striker Souleymane Coulibaly was named Most Promising Talent of the Year and Noumandiez Doue as Referee of the Year.

Niger coach Harouna Doula picked the prize for best coach whilst Africa Cup of Nations debutants Botswana saw their efforts in the qualifying series being rewarded with National Team of the Year gong. The Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon were also named Women’s National Team of the Year.

CAF Champions League winners’ Esperance Sportive de Tunis was adjudged Club of the Year whilst Libya grabbed the Fair Play award.

Former internationals Mustapha Hadji of Morocco and Austin ‘Jay-Jay’Okocha of Nigeria were presented with Legends Awards in recognition of their contribution to the development of the game over the years.

The ceremony sponsored by telecommunications giants, Globacom left the guests in awe with its rich display of culture, acrobatics and musical performance. There were also musical performances from Ghanaian hi-life sensation Kwabena Kwabena and young songstress, Efya, both from Ghana.

Beninois Zeynab also added some colour to the event just as South Africa duo Gloria Bosman and Loyiso Bala and Kenyan acrobatic tumbling group, ‘Troop Agile’.

This is the third time the award was being staged in Ghana after 2006 and 2009.

Motswako asked a question about our identity. Why some Africans are going to give up their roots and turn into a white women or men? What does this tell us about ourselves? Or is this just another whim coming from a lost soul?. According to an African Science Research, the prevalence of skin lightening reported among those interviewed in Africa shows some disturbing results. In Bamako in Mali, researchers calculated 25% prevalence, while in some studies in Dakar, Senegal, up to 52% prevalence was observed. A study in Pretoria, South Africa revealed up to 35%, while the most disturbing was a study in 2002 which showed up to 77% prevalence in Lagos, Nigeria.

Globally however, similar practices are employed by black Americans, Cubans, Jamaicans, Japanese and South Asians.

Some countries are speaking out. The Kenya Bureau of Standards banned several lotions, gels and soaps used for skin lightening that contained hydroquinone. Scores of Ugandans continue to bleach their skin despite a government ban on the sale of several lotions, creams, gels and soaps which are largely used to whiten, even and tone the skin. Other African countries are now following. This however does not necessarily stem the practice.

Why is skin lightening practiced?

There are many reasons why black, dark-skinned people resort to skin lightening and these reasons may be grouped in two kinds.

The first are personal reasons - beauty and its pursuit are universal. The face is viewed as the mirror of the soul, therefore a person's self-esteem, self-hate, self-image is a determinant factor in the quest for beauty. Ignorance is also one of the factors that contribute to this phenomenon since the lack of adequate information is an omnipresent prejudice in all choice-situations. In a recent study in Pretoria the misuse of topical steroid products for skin lightening, not being aware of the side effects was associated with the misuse.

As many studies have revealed, society has a significant impact on the misuse of skin lightening agents. It is known that during slavery years, light-skinned people were often given preferable treatment as compared to their dark-skinned peers. In modern times, studies have indicated that the majority of black men prefer light-skinned women as partners, girlfriends or wives.

Several authors have stated that these light-skinned women are perceived as attractive, intelligent, moral, sexually more desirable, even chaste; whereas dark-skinned are regarded as mean, evil, stupid, even as not trust-worthy.

Paying the price

Some of the worst offenders in skin lightening creams are mercury derivatives, hydroquinone and topical steroids. The table below shows some of the unhealthy effects of using skin lightening products containing these agents. Mercury for example is associated with kidney and speech problems.

Harmful effects of skin lightening agents

Mercury derivatives

Neurotoxic problems such as ataxia, speech and hearing impairment; mental problems such as irritability, fearfulness, and depression; kidney problems such as mercury-induced nephropathy ; and immunotoxicity

Cape Verdean model and fitness instructor Vanny Reis (age 26) was elected Miss West Africa 2011 on Sunday December 18 2011 in Banjul, Gambia. Reis, who will also serve as Miss West Africa’s Goodwill Ambassador for the next year, dedicated her win to Cesária Évora, who passed away Saturday in her native Mindelo.

The Miss West Africa acronym M.W.A Organization congratulates Vanny Reis the new Miss West Africa International and "all the other contestants and especially to 1st & 2nd Runners-up Yassin Jagne representing The Gambia, and Stella Bangura representing Sierra Leone" via MWA facebook wall.

Vanny Reis quoted on her facebook page

model, fitness instructor and above all a woman with convictions, was the Kings Vanny Cape Verde in the face of competition to choose the best and most beautiful representative of West Africa. Yesterday, Vanny won the Miss of the entire west coast of Africa. Vanny came to participate in the Miss Cape Verde in 2004 as candidate of St. Vincent. This year Vanny has a casting as the elected representative of Cape Verde in the contest which he won. Vanny has his delayed return to Cape Verde and should only reach the ground on Christmas Day, December 25th. The SAPO CV expect there to contact the winner. SAPO CV @ @ Facebook Official Photo See also: Kings Vanny , a life between fashion and sport Photos: Vanny Kings The remaining candidates: Miss West Africa 2011

On her Facebook page, on which she appears wearing the Miss West Africa crown, Reis thanks her sponsors and dedicates her victory to Cesária Évora.

The Miss West Africa pageant was created in 2008, but due to the size of the West African diaspora, organizers decided to internationalize it in 2010. Vanny Reis is the second Cape Verdean candidate to participate in the event and the first to win the prize.

Míss Wést Africa-Organizérs released this statement after the pageant

USA embassy to Cape Verde (@USEmbassyPraia ) just tweeted on Ivalnilda, the new Miss West Africa International 2011. All press in Cape Verde is awaiting Ivanildas return, only a few days left before she finishes enjoying the amazing hospitality of the Gambian people and their gvt. We are a 100% sure she will be a great follow up to Shireen and Amina.

Prior to the pageant, Vanny Reis told A Semana Online that she hoped to bring her experience in the realm of solidarity to help Cape Verde. Reis was elected Miss Ribeira de Craquinha (Mindelo) in 2002, and the next year participated in the competition Top Model Cabo Verde. In 2004, she was crowned Miss São Vicente.

The model also played for handball team Batuque and played basketball for Académica de São Vicente, participating in the 2009 Lusophone Games in the Cape Verdean national basketball team. She holds a degree in Physical Education.

50 Cent was recently forced to change the title of the film, Things Fall Apart, which took its name from a classic 1958 novel by author Chinua Achebe. Upon learning of the film’s title, Achebe threatened to sue 50 and the film’s producers for copyright violations. Fif and friends tried to settle out of court, offering the Chinua Achebe Foundation $1 million to use the title, but the Chinua Achebe Foundation turned down the offer.

“The novel with the said title was initially produced in 1958 (that is 17 years before rapper 50 Cent was born), [is] listed as the mostly read book in modern African literature, and won’t be sold for even $1 billion,” Achebe’s legal reps said.

As a result of the setback, the film’s backers have convinced 50 to rename the film All Things Fall Apart to head off any more legal battles.

The Mario Van Peebles–directed movie, set for a 2012 release, tells the story of a college football player whose sports career is cut short by cancer. All Things Fall Apart stars Peebles, Ray Liotta and 50 Cent in the lead role.

The punishment, handed down on Friday after the federation said Eto'o had persuaded team mates not to travel to Algeria last month for a friendly, has led to widespread criticism in the soccer-mad central African country.

Sports minister Adoum Garoua issued a statement calling for calm and said the government was looking at the possibility of bringing the various parties together.

Cameroon vice-captain Enoh Eyong was also banned for two games for his part in the strike that led to the game in Algiers being called off.

Former Cameroon international Roger Milla was among those to criticise the country's football federation (Fecafoot)

"It is very shocking and a disaster that a key player like Eto'o be banned from the national team for 15 matches," said Milla, who played in three World Cups.

"This effectively means a three-year ban, which is bad for Eto'o, who is 30 years old, and could result in his early retirement from international football.

"Why should they inflict such a heavy punishment on one player when it is the entire national squad that took the decision? This is not fair," added the striker.

The president of the Cameroon footballers' trade union David Mayebi described the sanction as "too harsh", and suggested to reporters his organisation would consider possible action to force a lifting of the ban.

"A player like Eto'o has done so much for our national football team. If the federation does not go back on the decision, we think the government should take strong action against them," he said.

"We cannot sit back with our arms folded and watch the federation destroy our national squad."

Mayebi said Cameroon had no chance of making it through the 2014 World Cup qualifiers starting in June without Eto'o, four-times African Footballer of the Year.

But the federation's secretary general Sidiki Tombi a Roko thought Eto'o's punishment was merited.

"Samuel Eto'o incited the national team not to travel to Algeria and said he was ready to assume full responsibility for any action that was taken," said Tombi a Roko.

The players were upset because they said they had not received money promised for their appearance in a four-nation tournament held in Morocco the previous weekend but Tombi a Roko said his federation had never promised to pay any bonus money.